Angela Lansbury and Michael Feinstein view recently discovered footage of the star's Tony Award-winning performance in the 1974 "Gypsy" on "Michael Feinstein American Songbook" debuting on PBS Friday, April 5. The series is directed by Amber Edwards of Newtown. less

Angela Lansbury and Michael Feinstein view recently discovered footage of the star's Tony Award-winning performance in the 1974 "Gypsy" on "Michael Feinstein American Songbook" debuting on PBS Friday, April 5. ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Stephen Sondheim (left) and Michael Feinstein talk about the role of Broadway in American popular music on "Show Tunes," the season three opener of the PBS series "Michael Feinstein American Songbook," debuting on Friday, April 5. The show is directed by Amber Edwards of Newtown. less

Stephen Sondheim (left) and Michael Feinstein talk about the role of Broadway in American popular music on "Show Tunes," the season three opener of the PBS series "Michael Feinstein American Songbook," debuting ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Newtown director launches third 'Songbook' season

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A treasure trove of never-before-seen film of vintage Broadway numbers is being shown for the first time on "Michael Feinstein American Songbook," airing on Friday, April 5.

The episode that launches season three of the PBS series includes rare footage from the original Broadway production of "Follies" in 1971 and the Angela Lansbury revival of "Gypsy" in 1974.

The series is directed by Amber Edwards of Newtown who said she and Feinstein are excited about sharing the film.

"I love theater and Michael loves theater ... so we decided to take a deep dive into the subject," Edwards said of a show that also includes an extensive interview with Stephen Sondheim about "Follies" and a moving segment in which Lansbury sees the "Gypsy" footage for the first time.

"That was a wonderful day. She really was surprised," Edwards said of watching Lansbury watch portions of a performance she gave almost 40 years ago.

The five-time Tony winner talks to Feinstein about the ephemeral nature of theater and the fact that her performances in such landmark 1960s shows as "Mame" and "Anyone Can Whistle" are just memories for those who were lucky enough to see them.

Edwards obtained the "Gypsy" footage from a collector. "He had all of the B-roll from what looked to be a local news story, and it is a lot more than a little snip," she said.

Indeed, the footage includes a nearly complete performance of "Together" and a portion of the climactic "Rose's Turn" number. The color is vivid and the sound is excellent. A split screen shows the "Gypsy" film and Lansbury's reaction simultaneously. We can see an old pro's unsentimental pride in a job well done. "Gypsy" brought the actress the third of her five Tonys.

The "Follies" footage had been given to Sondheim by a collector and is in great condition. Edwards includes a portion of Alexis Smith's "The Story of Lucy and Jesse," one of Gene Nelson's numbers, and footage of the spectacular Boris Aronson and Florence Klotz designs for the "Loveland" sequence.

"It was clearly filmed by somebody involved with the original production," Edwards said.

The Broadway footage

dramatically demonstrates the

differences between film and

videotape from 40 years ago.

"We're in a pro-video era, but film really does last. And of course the quality is much better," Edwards said of the way the "Follies" and "Gypsy" film has aged in comparison with videotape from the same era.